NAME: Omar Rivetti

1 Read the article and tick () the best title: a, b or c. Write it at the top of the article.
a  Unusual jobs
b  How to get a university job
c  Weekend work for teenagers

Unusual jobs

Matt’s a student too. He loves online computer games but, unlike most other gamers, who play
for fun, Matt has discovered ways to earn money while he plays. He’s been earning money from
his hobby since he was at school. ‘When you’ve been playing a computer game for a long time,’ he
says, ‘you learn little tricks for progressing through the game. I’ve written and published a couple
of online ‘walkthroughs’, which tell other people the secrets and the shortcuts of a game. People
pay to download the walkthroughs or to watch my videos.’

Matt’s become quite well-known thanks to his walkthroughs and his gaming blog. He’s often sent
new games that are still in development. The games are tested by Matt, who reports any problems
to the manufacturers. ‘It isn’t the same as playing for fun,’ says Matt. ‘You have to be
conscientious and you have to be good at working to deadlines. I get paid for doing it, but I’m not
going to be a millionaire any time soon!’

Louisa’s a university student. The university fees are quite expensive, so instead of taking out a
loan, she’s found a job to earn some money in her free time.

‘My hobby’s acting,’ Louisa explains. ‘I applied to a film agency for some work, I had an interview,
and I was offered a job as a ‘film extra’, which means that I sometimes appear in films as part of
the background. Extras are employed when a big group of people is needed for a scene. I’m given
work quite regularly, but it isn’t very exciting. Film extras aren’t allowed to speak! You have to be
reliable and very patient because it can be very boring. On some days we just sit around all day
waiting for our scene to be filmed!’

Louisa’s been working as a film extra for about a year now. She’s been in three different films –
but you’d better watch them very closely if you want to find her!

Answer the questions. Write complete sentences.

1 What is a ‘walkthrough’ for a computer game?

A walkthrough is a series of secrets and shortcuts of a game that helps players have the
best experience while playing the game.
2 When did Matt start making money from his hobby?
He started making money from his hobby when he was still in school.

3 What personal qualities do games testers need?

Games testers need to be conscientious and to be organized because you have to
respect deadlines.

4 Why do manufacturers send Matt games?

Manufactures send Matt games to test the games and report back if there are any
problems while playing the game.

5 What does being a ‘film extra’ mean?

Being a film extra means to appear in movies as part of the background to fill the
scenes but you don’t have any lines in the movie.

6 What personal qualities do film extras need?

A film extra needs to be reliable and patient because sometimes you have to wait many
hours before filming.

7 Why did Louisa get a job?

Louisa got a job because university tuitions are very expensive.

8 What work experience does Louise have now?

Louisa has been working as a film extra for nearly a year and has already appeared in
three movies.